Italian American Groups File Federal Lawsuit Against Ohio's Capital, Seeking Reinstallation of Columbus Statue

Columbus, Ohio faces a joint lawsuit filed to restore the Christopher Columbus statue removed in 2020 by Mayor Andrew Ginther during civil unrest.

COLUMBUS, Ohio, April 7, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Italian American organizations have filed a federal lawsuit against the City of Columbus, seeking the reinstallation of the Christopher Columbus statue removed from City Hall grounds in 2020 and placed in storage, all without a public or City Council vote.

The 28-page suit was filed by attorney George Bochetto on behalf of several plaintiffs, including the Friends of Christopher Columbus Foundation (FOCCF) — a Columbus, Ohio-based nonprofit — and the Conference of Presidents of Major Italian American Organizations (COPOMIAO), a nationwide Italian American advocacy coalition.

The lawsuit argues the statue's removal was unlawful, discriminatory and in breach of binding agreements — all carried out without proper authority, due process or required historic protections.

"Six years ago, in a rushed and inconsistent response to unrest, city leaders removed the Columbus statue but not the name of the city itself," said COPOMIAO President Basil Russo. "Columbus Day emerged in the aftermath of the 1891 New Orleans lynching, when 11 Italian immigrants were killed by a mob of thousands, an event that prompted a national effort to promote the acceptance of Italian Americans. That legacy continues to shape the meaning and importance of these monuments today."

Read about the historical origins of Columbus Day here.

Cast by renowned Italian sculptor Edoardo Alfieri in Genoa, Italy, the 20-foot bronze statue was unveiled in 1955 before 100,000 people. Its dedication marked the beginning of a formal sister-city relationship between Genoa and Columbus, Ohio, rooted in cultural and commercial exchange.

COPOMIAO's Pro-Columbus Legal Momentum

COPOMIAO won back-to-back unanimous rulings in Pennsylvania's Commonwealth Court, blocking the removal of Pittsburgh's Columbus statue in 2024 and restoring Columbus Day as a citywide holiday in Philadelphia in 2025.

As part of its ongoing bipartisan advocacy efforts, COPOMIAO worked with the Trump Administration this past March to install Baltimore's toppled Columbus statue on White House grounds — a collaboration that made international headlines.

"Public monuments cannot be removed at the unilateral discretion of elected officials, without process, authority or regard for binding agreements. Courts exist to check that kind of overreach," said Bochetto.

ABOUT COPOMIAO

COPOMIAO, founded in NYC, is a national coalition of 74 cultural, educational, fraternal and anti-defamation groups. Contact us.

SOURCE The Conference of Presidents of Major Italian American Organizations